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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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Generation of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Natural Products
Published on: April 6, 2019
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Antibodies from plants for bionanomaterials
Gueven Edgue1, Richard M Twyman2, Veronique Beiss1
1Department of Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Summary
Plants can be engineered to produce antibodies, acting as
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Antibodies are key components of the vertebrate adaptive immune response.
- Plants do not naturally produce antibodies, but can be engineered to do so.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the use of plants as efficient 'green factories' for antibody production.
- To highlight the advantages of plant-based transient expression systems for antibody manufacturing.
Main Methods:
- Introduction of antibody DNA sequences into plants.
- Utilizing laboratory technologies for antibody design.
- Employing plant-based transient expression systems for antibody synthesis.
Main Results:
- Plants can be engineered to produce a wide range of antibodies.
- Plant-based production offers safety, speed, low cost, and convenience.
- Coexpression in plants enables the creation of novel bionanomaterials.
Conclusions:
- Plant-based antibody production is a viable and advantageous alternative to traditional platforms.
- Plants can be used to create antibody-based supramolecular structures for green nanotechnology applications.
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Overview
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
Hybridoma Technology
Hybridoma technology is used for the large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies bind to only a single antigenic determinant or epitope. Such antibodies are used in research, diagnostics, and disease therapy. The hybridoma technology established in 1975 by Georges Köhler and Cesar Milstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1984 for revolutionizing research and therapy.
Hybridoma Selection
Commonly used fusion techniques — electroporation, polyethylene glycol...
Hybridoma Selection
Commonly used fusion techniques — electroporation, polyethylene glycol...

